Spring Fever
by Starsmith
Summary: This is written before and during the events of Amok Time and is intended as a sympathetic explanation for T'Pring's actions. Spoiler Warning! Pairings: T'Pring/Stonn


A/N:

Title: Spring Time

Author: Starsmith

Rating: Teen (brief non-explicit references to heterosexual sex; arranged marriage; in general if the episode did not bother you, neither should this fic)

Series: Star Trek: TOS

Characters: Spock, T'Pring, Stonn, T'Pring's mother,

Pairings: T'Pring/Stonn; T'Pring/Spock (technically married)

Setting: Vulcan

Genre: Sci fi/Romance

Disclaimer: Star Trek is copyrighted by Paramount/Viacom. I do not own any of their characters.

Summary/Comments: This is written before and during the events of Amok Time and is intended as an explanation for T'Pring's actions. I generally appreciate Star Trek's commentary on social, moral, and political issues, so I was stunned to find that this episode did not, in my opinion, do justice to the issue of arranged marriages. It is often the female who is the worse off in the arrangement, however this episode presents T'Pring as an unsympathetic, cruel character. While many people sympathize that she is essentially being forced to marry Spock, they criticize the ruthlessness with which she goes about attempting to extricate herself from this situation. Here, I have provided a possible explanation for her actions in Amok Time. This work assumes knowledge of the original episode.

* * * Possible Triggers: nothing explicit/graphic; arranged marriage * * *

* * * Spoiler Warnings * * *

(for _Amok Time_)

Part I

It was springtime on Vulcan. Characterized by an intermediate temperature range, slightly more humidity than was customary the rest of the year, and the flowering of approximately 82% of the flowering cacti on the planet's surface. T'Pring was in no mood to enjoy it.

The agonies of the plak tow had not quite overtaken her yet, but they would very soon. She knew what was coming. She had realized that her brain chemistry was changing. She was reaching full sexual maturity. She was becoming isyo'gyan – a woman of the clan.

It was said to be a profound experience and was said to even more deeply bond a married couple. A woman was always already married to her husband during this time because males always experience plak tow earlier than females (except, apparently, Spock). It was even hypothesized that women could not experience plak tow themselves until they had melded with a male who was going through the process (namely, their husband). T'Pring derived no pleasure from disproving this hypothesis.

My blood is burning now, without any experience with a man at all, thank you very much! She swallowed, trying to drive back the rage with meditation as she had many times before. When she could trust her hands, she checked her communicator console as she had many times before. There was still nothing. No message. No acknowledgement. Not even an automated reply stating that the intended recipient was unavailable. She knew the message had been addressed correctly and hadn't bounced, as she would have received a message informing her if that had happened. No, Spock was ignoring her! He was busy with some kind of important work on the Enterprise. He would leave her to die!

She went back and forth in her thoughts, trying to decide whether she thought that Spock hadn't read her messages at all or whether he had read them and had determined his duties or the Enterprise's mission to be more vital. If he had read her message, there was no way that he could misinterpret her words. She may have been polite and vague in the first message, but every subsequent message had been succinct and urgent. If he had opened her message and still did not come, the only explanation was that he had chosen his duty over her life. "The good of the many outweighs the good of the one," she said to herself bitterly. She knew very little of him anyway, but she did remember that he was an adherent of that philosophy.

Even if that one is your wife? Even if that one is the person you have sworn to cherish above all in the cosmos? Even if –

"T'Pring?" a voice called her from the home intercom. It was her mother. "You did not eat latemeal with us, so I wanted to check to make sure you are all right. Do you still feel feverish?"

T'Pring had mentioned her concerns to her family and they had advised her to contact Spock even though she wasn't certain at the time of what she was suffering from. "I feel much improved," she called, "I have been sleeping to conserve my strength."

"That is well. Contact us if you need anything."

T'Pring had not lied. She had been sleeping and she was feeling marginally better, although she knew the feeling would be temporary. She needed to decide what to do. Logically. And fast.

She had tried to get an estimate of the duration of time between the onset of symptoms and death. This research was probably some of the hardest she had ever done, as there was a dearth of information about this subject. She estimated that she now had a minimum of a week left to her. She now had several options. The first she had listed were: (1) contact Starfleet then have them contact Spock and (2) contact the appropriate Vulcan authorities, then have them contact Spock. She had discarded these already. It was possible that even if Spock opened her message now, he would not be able to get to Vulcan in time, not to mention the fact that conveying the urgency with which she needed to contact Spock would necessitate revealing the secrets of Vulcan intimacy, something that would be excruciatingly humiliating for herself, her family, and all Vulcans.

Her next option was (3) go to a k'sitaa. A k'sitaa would be thought of by off-worlders as merely a brothel, but it was nothing of the kind. It was used only by Vulcan men and women who had no spouse for whatever reason during the time of plak tow – every seven years for men, every eight years for women. Unfortunately, she had a spouse. If she went to a k'sitaa, she would bring shame upon herself and her family. She would also bring shame upon Spock and his family, but that didn't really concern her. She had given him enough of a chance to even respond to her. Another part of her being cried out that if Spock was indeed held up by some important duty or simply out of range somewhere in the galaxy, it would be logical to go to a k'sitaa and there should be no shame in it. But Vulcan was indeed a strange mixture of modern logic and ancient tradition. And then she would actually have to go through with the plak tow with an utter stranger. A man who was performing a duty, doing useful work. A man who would not come to her when it was his time. A man who would not be a father to her children.

No, she did not want to take that option. So then it was – (4) ask a friend to go through this with her. But then, all of her friends had been bonded at seven years old. What of the changed relationship between the two of them? And all of the other possible and probable consequences of that action. Perhaps it would be best to visit the k'sitaa.

But she did not think she could. She sighed. What she had listed in option (4) was not as specific as it could have been. There was only one friend that she had had in mind. The two of them had been inseparable from the age of twelve. Her hands went to the communicator again and this time, she did not check to see if Spock had sent her message. She sent a message to Stonn.

Part II

Under an hour later, he was sitting in a chair next to her, listening. When he had first stepped into her room his eyes had widened briefly before he clamped down his control, at the destruction she herself had wrought on her own possessions. Then he listened as T'Pring took 20 minutes to explain what had transpired.

"The answer is obvious," he said.

"Is it?"

"I will meld with you. I will take you as a mate. I will help you through this." He paused. "T'Pring, there has always been deep friendship between us. I had never thought that our bond is sexual or romantic, perhaps because we were both betrothed. But I care for you. I am willing to do this. I am more than willing, I – " he hesitated "Your other options are death or humiliation."

"But what of the humiliation to you? What of your bond?"

He shook his head, "I have not experience plak tow yet and neither has my betrothed. I can dissolve the betrothal…if this becomes permanent. If not, I am sure she will understand and we can each return to our respective bondmates."

T'Pring shook her head, "I never wish to see Spock again," she assured him. "Perhaps," she continued, "this is not a death sentence, what my body is doing to me at such an inopportune time. Perhaps it is an opportunity. One that it would be illogical not to take advantage of. Perhaps it is logical that, considering the connection between, our similar life-goals, and our familiarity with each other, we consider a romantic relationship."

T'Pring survived, with Stonn's help.

Several days later, she received a message from Spock, inquiring about her, apologizing for not having responded earlier. He talked about time travel, a battle with the Romulans, and horrific plagues as an excuse. He didn't seem to believe that the situation was his fault, even though it was his decision to leave their homeworld against his own family's wishes even. If he had stayed here this problem would not have occurred. He even could have remained on Vulcan only until both of them had experienced at least one pon farr and their times of need would have followed a cyclical, predictable pattern that could have been planned for. Of course, the prospect of raising children this way was undesirable to her, but something, even a divorce if need be, could have been arranged.

She answered him coldly. She did not indicate whether she had been able to meditate through it or it had been a false alarm. Of course, he could look up whether or not she had been to a k'sitaa (which she hadn't) as it was a matter of public record, but she doubted he would spare the time. She sometimes wondered whether he would have been at all concerned if she had not responded. Would he have come himself? Contacted someone on Vulcan? Completely ignored the situation?

Time passed. T'Pring was beginning to suspect that Spock, due to his biological differences, would not ever experience pon farr. She eventually initiated formal divorce proceedings. Of course, Spock was officially informed of the proceedings. He did not respond. T'Pring knew that if he missed the upcoming arbitration dates, whatever his personal reasons, the divorce would be granted without question. Stonn had already completed his divorce (a process made much easier by the fact that his bondmate was on Vulcan and that both of them came from families much less prestigious than either hers or Spock's). Soon after, Stonn went through his own pon farr and she pulled him through.

Then, without warning, Spock contacted her and the Vulcan authorities. His time was upon him. He needed her to perform her duty. The divorce arbitrations had not yet occurred. They were still betrothed.

But she would not. She would escape her role. She and Stonn would not sacrifice what they had. Stonn planned to fight Spock to the death if it was necessary. Spock could, of course, accept the divorce and go to a k'sitaa as she had almost had to do, but that was unlikely. Not only was such a move completely devastating to individual and family honor, but those under the influence of pon farr did not tend to think rationally and Stonn told her that in males, pon farr brought out violent instincts. T'Pring would rather avoid the fight that might follow the challenge. She had contingency plans. If any of Spock's family members were present, they could accept the divorce on his behalf, drag him to a k'sitaa, and this could be resolved peacefully. T'Pring thought it likely they would take this route. If they were not present, the friends (traditionally male) that Spock brought as witnesses would be able to at least counsel him to accept this route. Otherwise, she supposed, a fight would be inevitable.

The eventuality that she had not expected (though she should have) came to pass. Spock's friends were human. T'Pring was shocked. Occasionally, in this modern day and age, a husband could bring a female instead of a male as a witness, but nothing like this had ever occurred before. This eliminated her second plan. The humans knew nothing of their traditions and the options that were open to Spock, nor could they be explained by anyone. She saw no sign of his parents or any family whatsoever. The fight would have to occur. But she would not risk Stonn's life if there was another alternative…


End file.
